“We’ve seen this increase in a number of our fresh water fishes becoming endangered. So 1990 20% of our forty native fishes were endangered. Now around 75% of them are endangered. We need to protect them so that they can be there for the future”.

How do you measure absolute stocks, rather than just species makeup by region? Commercial fishing can be reported, but not recreational volumes

@grahamsurrey,

You’ve hit the nail on the head there. In the whitebait fishery recreational and commercial takes are one and the same, given that there’s no restriction on the amount that a ‘recreational’ whitebaiter can catch and legally sell. It effectively incentivises greed.

What’s the solution? I reckon banning the commercial sale of whitebait is a no-brainer. Adopt the same rules as for trout. If you want a feed go and catch it yourself. Continuing the commercial sale of threatened species with no quotas or records of catch volumes is crazy

Meanwhile, the National Party Extinction Machiavellian are living up to their reputation, telling porkies and encouraging Coasters to literally and figuratively eat their kids’ futures.

If National weren’t busy politicking New Zealand could be having a discussion about how people can be supported to transition to making a living from enterprises that regenerate nature not destroy it.

Managing native fisheries is critical, and giving DOC more tools to do that makes sense when facing multiple extinctions. Ultimately we need to start respecting the mana of all waterways, and restore and maintain their health. If we’re not going to ban whitebaiting while the stocks recover, maybe we should ban dairy farming along waterways instead.

More from the 2016 post,

We are living in a time of unparalleled environmental destruction: in one generation most of our freshwater fish have made the threatened species list and unless we act quickly they will be all but gone in another generation. As with most other environmental problems there is a lag period and we are now seeing the impacts of previous decades of unsustainable land-use hit home. Even if we stop the destruction right now and start protecting our freshwater ecosystems, these species’ declines will continue for some time.

To save our freshwater heritage we need amendments made to the freshwater fisheries regulations and to the Wildlife Act, and we must have effective regulations put in place in the agricultural sector. Government-employed and funded freshwater scientists’ hands are tied with political tape, meaning these changes must come from the people.

So rise up all those who want their grandchildren to see native fish and have swimmable rivers. Target the environment, fisheries, State-owned enterprises and conservation ministers, councils and Fonterra and tell them we refuse to accept the loss of our fish and our rivers.

We can have a strong farming industry and clean waters but not when the emphasis is on unlimited increases in production. There is a limit to what the land can produce sustainably and what waste the rivers can assimilate and that point has long since been passed in many parts of New Zealand.

Related

66 comments on “What if there were only 34 31 more whitebait harvests left?”

I saw one old codger on the news almost in tears saying he's vehemently opposed to this legislation because he wants his grandchildren to be able to go whitebaiting. Sometimes the amount of cognitive dissonance a human can exhibit while still being able to breathe, eat etc like normal is just plain astonishing.

What he really means is he wants to be able to go white bating with his grandchildren.

Closing parts of the fishery now might mean he's unable to before for he's dead. That is a greater driver than wanting his adult grandchildren to be able to go whitebaiting after he's gone. It is likely he doesn't care about that – these people never do.

My advice to the teary old codger is to take his grandchildren to the Fox River clean up. There they might learn something.

Save the whitebait – practice "catch and release".
Personally, I think National are making a big mistake here. Public sentiment is heavily on the side of conserving these native fishes and the noise from the whitebait’s will strengthen that concern for the fishery. As well, most whitebait’s know there’s a need for regulating the activity and will see through the hype and misinformation. They’re pretty canny, the baiters.
National’s chosen the wrong creature as poster-fish for their campaign.

LOL not too many NZers will be missing out, we are given some up here in the North from the South brought up by those who can and are spending many, many $$$ on it We aren't immediate receivers of it but it comes via a third party, older person, who we give fresh fish to. I doubt any much or even any part of the high prices that can be received are ever seen by IRD.

Ad. I’m with you on this. It would be no different to the rules around taking shell fish and enforced in the same way. Most comments here suggest that all baiters are mindless greedy people who would pillage the river until empty. Of course some might. Just like those caught with sacks of undersized Paua. And greed covers all races. The other side of that story is that these bait fishermen have been been doing it for a long time and are in an ideal position to work with Doc in monitoring the fisheries. Wouldn’t it be better to work with them to replenish these rivers than to legislate. It’s something this country does a lot of but in my opinion is often done badly.

What legislation allows DOC to do that, and how would you prevent National from reversing any policy developed?

I don't think all whitebaiters are greedy. I think the system allows people to take more than their fair share, and some whitebaiters are part of a culture that thinks DOC is bad and won't read the science.

If you look at the first tweet in the post and read the whole, short thread, it's a good example of denial or ignorance of the science. Hard for DOC to work with that (although I do think there are issues on DOC's side as well, generally, because they tend to silo themselves off from the public at times).

The baiters have to register their spot now as I understand it. Just like duck shooters on the river. Why can’t limits and information sharing be applied as they do there. As for the old codger. I saw that clip and didn’t see any body ask him what his catches were like where he was baiting. Everyone's perception of the clip is relying on how the situation was portrayed. It may have been spot on and maybe it wasn’t. Do you believe everything you read and see is portrayed in context.

The little bits I read about the Bill are that DOC want better tools for regulating a range of native freshwater fish issues. Re the WB specificaly I would guess that having to control stand by stand, or even river by river, is not particularly efficient.

I also think the situation is so serious that we are beyond adjusting limits. The freshwater scientists watching the species collapse are saying we need an outright ban for a number of years to let stocks recover and to allow time to restore waterways outside of conservation. The Bill is a big compromise on that.

Ad and yourself can assert that the tools already exist, but I'm still not seeing it.

Let's stop calling them "whitebait" to start with and give the five species their actual Maori names. "Whitebait" is a perfect description of the ignorant colonial attitude to the species – a bunch of white fish that are generically called "white bait"

I had a colleague, a teacher of science and mathematics, who bemoaned the fact that he could no longer catch the fish he used to catch in a particular bay. "I used to be able to fill the bottom of my dinghy with fish, " he said. I said back, as a teacher of history, "Do you think there might be a connection between the two?"

I've come across this too. It's a startling phenomenon, but I suspect we all do it. How many people are on board with climate change now that weren't ten years ago despite the scientific evidence being in the public domain for decades?

I expect the role of bush in whitebait lifecycles is underestimated. The runs early last century were epic, supported presumably by innumerable creeks and rivulets and forest detritus that comparatively bare farmland does not provide.

But if we're going to rebuild whitebait stocks there should be hatcheries and live release until stocks recover – we did that for trout, we can do it for whitebait.

I'm guessing this is one of the reasons that Sage is giving DOC better power to control whitebaiting on the conservation estate. Once those rivers are protected it will be easier to see what to do about the deforested ones.

It's partly a political perception issue, which of course is also what drives the Gnat critique. If the only recovery strategy is curtailing what may in many cases be quite a modest take, the public with some justice feel that they are carrying all the burden. But if there is an active fishery rebuild, supporting that by temporarily suspending one's own fishing seems less onerous.

The story of the huia and the fashion frenzy that hastened it's extinction is really interesting and chilling, in that it shows there are many drivers, some unseen and difficult to foretell, that contribute to the extinguishing of other organisms, some of whom we admire, others of whom we don't. I don't know that we can guard well enough against those influences, quite frankly. So far, we've done a poor job.

Doing our bit for the fishery as we don't eat them, can't see what all the fuss and $$ is all about. Plus we could see that harvesting bulging netfuls of juveniles was going to cause this very problem.

Delicious, and 'I'm entitled. Done this all my life, and father and grandfather before. (Quoting authority.) I shouldn't have to change. (Deflection – It's all those townies and incomers who travel around in caravans and come stealing our fish.)

Mmmm Depends how far back the traditional harvesting has been … before 1840, then in 20 year increments? And Maori did actually feed early settlers in their time of need. Shouldn’t the offspring of settlers now concede the rights of traditional harvesting back to their kaitiaki use, in a return of generosity and respect for rights?

I can set up breeding grounds if you have a stream connected to the ocean (and historic whitebait presence). Through restorative efforts we could raise the populations much faster.

They come in on a king tide/storm system to breed and lay eggs in the roots of sedges and other plants at high water. This is higher water than normal (king tide) but the eggs stay damp via capillary action of the streams water. So the eggs are damp but also have air. On the next king tide they hatch and float out to sea where they spend several months fattening up to whitebait size. They return to where they were hatched, or very close to it. Some think they follow the smell of mum (pheremones), others think they detect if fish are present (livable).

Edge is where it's at – a planted edge. To greatly increase breeding potential greatly increase the edge. A fishbone pattern would be very effective.

Storm systems churn the water up a bit making it safer for fish to move about and lay eggs in the shallows. If going for artificial hatching low barometic pressure, plants roots and some rock dust to cloud the water can work. I'm the only person to do this without chemicals but it's quite easy once you understand the storms/water levels trigger egg laying. In a tank system you want an ebb and flow set up.

Charles Mitchell was the kind of environmentalist who loved progress, hated red tape and shared his knowledge with anyone who'd listen.

The sustainable whitebait pioneer has been described by his children as a "mad scientist of the best degree".

"He was a true polymath," his daughter Megan Mitchell said, "an artist, a musician, a sailor, a builder, a scientist, a historian and a father. He was generous with his time and knowledge, inspirational in his innovation, and above all, kind."

Charles died in September next to his fish ponds near Raglan, where he'd spent decades restoring whitebait habitat.

there is more than catching that is stuffing up whitebait. what about the stuffing up of breeding grounds. I have been whitebaiting for 65 years. and thats the main problem. plenty of whitebait get up the river out of season. and at night but when they get there nowhere to bred. also last year was one of the best for several years I agree some of the problem is the catching but there are more problems than that when there were large catches there were not many whitebaiters some days now on some small rivers in the Nth Island there are more whitebaiter then fish

Agreed; habit and management is all-important. If "people" applied themselves, galaxy numbers could balloon. I'm wondering how many "takers" actively work towards building fish numbers and habitat. Or is it just "environmental" types that do the mahi there? If so, are the salt-of-the-earth baiters biting the hand that feeds them by criticising DoC etc?

Charles was working with a Southland power Company restoring habitat/s down there but didn't get any more detail than that. You'd think they'd use the project for PR maybe he passed before it was finished.

HA! Off with you and your coat! Take a look at sedges (with cutty grass type edges) and their root systems. The eggs are very hard to detect/get at – though kokopu/inanga grew up without mammals and it's anyone's guess what the mice are doing to them. I imagine natural attrition has always taken some out via other critters grazing.

That's a He, PM, except on Fridays… Fruity Friday we call it in making-stuff-up land.

Are mice hydrophobic? Rats aren’t…

Toi toi and manuka were featured on Charles fish pond’s banks but also the sedges featuring prominently.

Just wondering if there’s special wet/dry states to sedge root mass. What if it opens up/softens then closes/hardens. seen much stranger phenomenon.

Interesting… in Southland, grasses, usually rank pasture grasses are said to be the primary egg-laying medium. Pity about the "natural" waterside sedges etc. browsed off by livestock or sprayed into non-existence. So mice can easily predators galaxid eggs down here. Our purpose-built waterway system in the wetland reserve on the edge of town has harakeke and mingimingi beside the water, but mostly still, cocksfoot, but “cutty grass” is making a strong come-back.

Could there be a close, happy whitebait catchers group be developed? People who are part of the in-crowd, and turn up before the run and put in more plantings in a special screened off area each year. They would form a special interest group involved in a kaitiaki group taking part in the whole fishery thing, not just taking out of the fishery to suit themselves. Could turn up early for the plantings and for a celebration day and evening with guitars etc, a bit of simple community cheer.

With eel numbers fallen, I wonder what effect that's having on the galaxid populations? In any case, let's make more habitat for both and let them get on with their lives. A Giant Kokopu would eat an elver, I reckon, but probably the two don't often occupy the same space. I know they love small chunks of blue cod

There's a sizable population of sizable giants here In AK but I won't tell anyone where they are… Predator prey cycles denote a lack of eels will boost whitebait numbers which in turn will help the ailing eels. The idea of habitat plus fisheries restoration is sound. One or the other is like fixing a bone with a cast but not setting it first.

I live in Westland and work as a chef. I would love to know the size of the black market in cash sales of whitebait.

I have never heard of any local restaurant being audited by officials concerning their whitebait stock. All the owner has to do is say they caught the bait themselves.

As soon as the season starts i have fishermen offering me whitebait for sale, cash only, price determined by bush telegraph, $50 a kilo or more depending on catches made.

I personally know people who make $80,000 a season, cash, no tax. One fella got a ton of bait in two days near the Hokitika bridge. Another friend took $30,000 to South Westland to buy bait for cash, spent the lot, shipped it to Auckland netting $90,000 in 24 hours.

There's a sense of generational entitlement when it comes to whitebait. There in lays the biggest problem. Free money is the biggest driver, when the fish are running.

Have often heard of people earning six figures catching whitebait. And yes they just take it to the city to sell, often via the kitchens back door. Laughing all the way to the bank.

Also have heard of large volumes just being dumped due to things like not enough room in the freezer etc. That's not at all uncommon.

What I haven't heard of is any whitebaiters having an interaction with any fisheries officers.

maureen pugh is just trying to stir up shite with propaganda on an extremely emotive subject especially for West Coasters. People don't like it when you mess with their tax free incomes, cause in the end, for those upset, it often comes down to money.

But there is hope, round the Tasman district the kids are being educated via Whitebait Connection. And it's working. A 11yr old from a whitebaiting family was explaining to me the other day about the dire situation and how we need to protect the species. I was like dang, the kids are getting it, what's up with some of the grownup's… greed or ignorance?https://www.whitebaitconnection.co.nz/

That's great to hear Cinny. Mokra it sounds as if that is partly true and partly stretched fishy story. Just another thing that government has been lacking on. This is the sort of thing that central government should be concerned about as local government often gets bogged down in local habits. Someone put a fishhook in their nether regions eh!

Most of you have hit the nail on the head. Don't always blame the farmers for whitebait stocks decline

Blame those on the river who are selling their catch. For many it's ONLY ABOUT THE MIGHTY DOLLAR.

To those who say that whitebait patties for sale at gala days and community fundraisers have always been the norm– find something else to sell. Do we ever see Trout sandwiches or snapper burgers at fundraisers? No never. Our thinking has got to change.

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We’re confident in the ability of Kiwi businesses to succeed in the face of COVID-19, and our Government is committed to doing our bit to enable that success. Kiwi businesses have always been innovative and resilient, and the COVID-19 pandemic has proven this yet again. Many businesses are finding new, creative ...

New Zealand First is pleased to release the names of its first tranche of candidates for the 2020 election. The includes all sitting New Zealand First Members of Parliament except Clayton Mitchell MP who earlier today announced he will not be seeking re-election. In alphabetical order they are: MP ...

Clayton Mitchell MP, New Zealand First List MP based in Tauranga New Zealand First MP Clayton Mitchell has decided not to seek re-election in this year’s General Election. “After serious consideration and discussion with my family, I have decided to pursue other passions in my life and spend a lot ...

Defence Minister Ron Mark has announced that new Lockheed Martin Super Hercules aircraft would replace the outdated and costly 1960s Hercules fleet. The $1.521b project will include a flight simulator for staff training and other supporting infrastructure. "This fleet will ensure the Defence Force can continue to support New Zealand's ...

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has described Labour's original COVID-19 commercial rent dispute proposal as "poorly targeted". Justice Minister Andrew Little hasannounced a temporary law changeto force commercial landlords and renters to consider COVID-19 in disputes over rent issues, almost two months after the Government first floated the idea. But ...

Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First acknowledges that some small businesses have been struggling to meet fixed costs due to the loss of revenue by COVID-19. We also know some businesses are at greater risk of insolvency when they cannot come to a reasonable ...

Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First is disappointed that the removal of the spousal deductions has had to be delayed by the Ministry fo Social Development, due to COVID19 workload pressures. “New Zealand First has always stood for fairness when it comes to superannuation ...

Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First On the steps of Parliament today the Leader of New Zealand First, Rt Hon Winston Peters received a petition from registered nurse Anna Maria Coervers, requesting an amendment to the Protection for First Responders Bill which will ensure the legislation also include registered ...

It's been a busy seven days as we start to rebuild New Zealand together. From delivering extra support for small businesses, to investing in our artists and arts organisations, to cutting red tape on home DIY projects, we're rolling out our plan to get the economy and New Zealand moving ...

Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State Owned Enterprises KiwiRail’s Northland rail upgrade steps up another gear today and will help Northland recover from the impacts of COVID-19, State Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters says. The Government is investing $204.5 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to ...

“Today and every day we stand in solidarity with George Floyd’s family, friends and community who feel pain and fear about his untimely death at the hands of Minneapolis police”, said Green Party Co-leader and Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson. ...

Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Hon Eugenie Sage, Minister of Conservation The West Coast forests of Mount Te Kinga at Kotuku Whakaoho/Lake Brunner are the latest predator free project to receive Government funding, announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher ...

The Green Party has begun the process for a Select Committee inquiry into student accommodation, which has been exposed during COVID-19 as an under-regulated sector that straddles students with unfair debt. ...

Budget 2020 is about rebuilding together, supporting jobs, getting business moving and the books back into the black. It’s an integral part of our COVID-19 economic response, and our plan to grow our economy and get New Zealand moving again.Here’s a quick look at the five top things you ...

The Green Party is pleased to reveal its candidate list for the upcoming election. With a mix of familiar faces and fresh new talent, this exceptional group of candidates are ready to lead the Greens back into Government. ...

The Coalition Government has approved $206 million in essential upgrades at Ōhakea Air Base. Defence Minister Ron Mark said the money would be spent on improving old infrastructure. He said safety issues would be addressed, as well as upgrades to taxiways, accommodation and fresh, storm and waste water systems. "This ...

Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First “I am not persisting with this case just for myself, but for all people who have had their privacy breached. Privacy of information is a cornerstone of our country’s democracy. Without it our society truly faces a bleak future. We now ...

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This summer presents a great opportunity for New Zealanders to get out into nature with bookings on Great Walks for 2020/21 set to open next week, says Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. Bookings for the Great Walks will open between 9 and 11 June, excluding Milford and Routeburn tracks which ...

Extra 40,000 businesses to be eligible for wage subsidy extension Small business cashflow support application period extended The Government is today announcing further support for businesses that continue to be affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, as the broader economy becomes one of the most open in the world following ...

The Coalition Government has confirmed five Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules transport aircraft will be purchased to replace the existing fleet, Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “Last year, Cabinet selected these aircraft as the preferred option to replace the current Hercules fleet. Procurement of the Super Hercules has been ...

The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage is celebrating World Environment Day with an announcement of a major step towards Wairarapa Moana being recognised as an internationally significant wetland. “Wairarapa Moana is an ecosystem of 10,000 hectares of wetland and open water that provides a home for indigenous fish, birds and ...

New public housing that will save tenants money in energy bills, and provide warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, is setting the standard for the Government’s future public housing programme, Housing Minister Megan Woods said. Dr Woods opened the new Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities complex, which has a ...

A new-look Police graduation ceremony to take account of COVID19 health rules has marked the completion of training for 57 new constables. Police Minister Stuart Nash attended this afternoon's ceremony, where officers of Recruit Wing 337 were formally sworn in at the Royal New Zealand Police College without the normal support of ...

Mobile traders and truck shops must adhere to responsible lending requirements Interest rate cap on high-cost loans Lenders prohibited from offering further credit to an applicant who has taken two high-cost loans in the past 90 days The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Kris Faafoi, has signalled an end ...

94% of firms say wage subsidy had positive impact on cashflow 62% of firms say support helped to manage non-wage costs like rent A survey of business that have received the Government’s wage subsidy show it has played a significant role in saving jobs, and freed up cash flow to ...

New legislation introduced to Parliament today will support growth and assist businesses on the road to economic recovery, said Revenue Minister Stuart Nash. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2020-21, Feasibility Expenditure, and Remedial Matters) Bill proposes that businesses can get tax deductions for ‘feasibility expenditure’ on new investments,” said Mr ...

Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson has welcomed the first release of funds from the $265 million Sport Recovery Package announced as part of Budget 2020. Sport NZ has announced that $4.6 million in funding will go to the Wellington Phoenix, NZ Warriors, Super Rugby teams and the ANZ Premiership ...

An iconic New Zealand tourism attraction and the country’s 31 Regional Tourism Organisations are the first recipients of support from the $400 million Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, to help position the sector for recovery from COVID-19, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. The plan includes a Strategic Tourism Assets Protection ...

The Government will legislate to ensure businesses that suffered as a result of the COVID-19 response will get help to resolve disputes over commercial rent issues, Justice Minister Andrew Little announced today. A temporary amendment to the Property Law Act will insert a clause in commercial leases requiring a fair ...

The Minister for Small Business says new data from Xero highlights the urgency of prompt payment practices to small and medium enterprises as we move into economic recovery. Last month Government ministers wrote to significant private enterprises and the banking industry to request they join efforts by government agencies to ...

Young people in Waikato will be the first to have free access to period products in schools in another step to support children and young people in poverty,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. During term 3, the Ministry of Education will begin providing free period products to schools following the ...

The Minister of Police Stuart Nash has issued the following statement in response to charges filed against three Police officers this morning in the New Plymouth District Court. “Any incident involving a loss of life in Police custody is taken very seriously. The charges today reflect the gravity of the ...

$196 million for Crown Research Institutes $150 million for R&D loan scheme $33 million for Māori research and development opportunities $12 million for the Nationally Significant Collections and Databases $10 million to help maintain in-house capability at Callaghan Innovation New Zealand’s entrepreneurs, innovators and crown researchers will benefit from a ...

Further temporary changes to NCEA and University Entrance (UE) will support senior secondary school students whose teaching and learning have been disrupted by COVID-19. “The wellbeing of students and teachers is a priority. As we are all aware, COVID-19 has created massive disruption to the school system, and the Government ...

Minister for Racing Winston Peters today announced that the terms for the directors of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) have been extended to 30 June 2021. Due to the COVID-19 crisis the transition period has been extended to ensure that the Racing Industry Bill can complete its progress through ...

The deadline for landlords to include detailed information in their tenancy agreements about how their property meets the Healthy Homes Standards, so tenants can see the home they are renting is compliant, has been extended from 1 July 2020 to 1 December 2020. The Healthy Homes Standards became law on 1 July 2019. The Standards are ...

Justice Minister Andrew Little today announced details of further appointments to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. “I am pleased to announce Paula Rose QSO OStJ as Deputy Chief Commissioner for a term of five years commencing on 15 June 2020,” said Andrew Little. “I am also pleased to announce the ...

The Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund (TTAF) will pay costs of learners of all ages to undertake vocational education and training The fund will target support for areas of study and training that will give learners better employment prospects as New Zealand recovers from COVID-19 Apprentices working in all industries ...

The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will finally start to cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas pollution as it was originally intended to, because of changes announced today by the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw. The changes include a limit on the total emissions allowed within the ETS, rules to ensure ...

Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List provides an abundance of examples that Pacific people’s leadership capability is unquestionable in Aotearoa. “The work and the individuals we acknowledge this year highlights the kind of visionary examples and dedicated community leadership that we need ...

The Government is backing a new $27 million project aimed at boosting sustainable horticulture production and New Zealand’s COVID-19 recovery efforts, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. “Our horticulture sector has long been one of New Zealand’s export star performers, contributing around $6 billion a year to our economy. During and ...

The Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List once again highlights the dedication by many to looking after our native plants and wildlife, including incredible work to restore the populations of critically endangered birds says Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. Anne Richardson of Hororata has been made an Officer of the New ...

The Government will invest $10 million from the One Billion Trees Fund for large-scale planting to provide jobs in communities and improve the environment, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Forestry Minister Shane Jones have announced. New, more flexible funding criteria for applications will help up to 10 catchment groups plant ...

Organisations that support women are invited to apply to a new $1,000,000 fund as part of the Government’s COVID-19 response. “We know women, and organisations that support women, have been affected by COVID-19. This new money will ensure funding for groups that support women and women’s rights,” said Minister for ...

Healthier waterways are front and centre in a new project involving more than 300 King Country sheep, beef and dairy farmers. The Government is investing $844,000 in King Country River Care, a group that helps farmers to lift freshwater quality and farming practice, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “Yesterday ...

A major funding package for libraries will allow them to play a far greater role in supporting their communities and people seeking jobs as part of the economic recovery from COVID-19. “Budget 2020 contains over $60 million of funding to protect library services and to protect jobs,” says Internal Affairs ...

A jobseekers programme for the creative sector and four new funds have been set up by the Government to help our arts and music industry recover from the blow of COVID-19. Thousands of jobs will be supported through today’s $175 million package in a crucial economic boost to support the ...

Minister for Veterans Ron Mark has welcomed the First Reading of a Bill that will make legislative changes to further improve the veterans’ support system. The Veterans’ Support Amendment Bill No 2, which will amend the Veterans’ Support Act 2014, passed First Reading today. The bill addresses a number of ...

Views sought on Order in Council to help fast track the reinstatement of the Christ Church Cathedral The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Hon Poto Williams, will be seeking public written comment, following Cabinet approving the drafting of an Order in Council aimed at fast-tracking the reinstatement of the ...

The law setting out New Zealanders’ basic civil and human rights is today one step towards being strengthened following the first reading of a Bill that requires Parliament to take action if a court says a statute undermines those rights. At present, a senior court can issue a ‘declaration of ...

Thousands of artists and creatives at hundreds of cultural and heritage organisations have been given much-needed support to recover from the impact of COVID-19, Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern announced today. “The cultural sector was amongst the worst hit by the global pandemic,” Jacinda ...

Key New Zealand assets will be better protected from being sold to overseas owners in a way contrary to the national interest, with the passage of the Overseas Investment (Urgent Measures) Bill. The Bill, which passed its third reading in Parliament today, also cuts unnecessary red tape to help attract ...

Setting higher health standards at swimming spots Requiring urban waterways to be cleaned up and new protections for urban streams Putting controls on higher-risk farm practices such as winter grazing and feed lots Setting stricter controls on nitrogen pollution and new bottom lines on other measures of waterway health Ensuring ...

The Government is on the verge of reaching its target of state sector boards and committees made up of at least 50 percent women, says Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter and Minister for Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa. For the first time, the Government stocktake measures the number of Māori, ...

ANALYSIS:By Denis Muller of theUniversity of Melbourne When a newspaper with the authority of The New York Times chooses to publish a party-political essay calculated to further inflame the violence wracking cities across America, serious questions arise. On June 3 the Times published in its opinion section an ...

For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Noble, Education Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University Three quarters of a million Australian children are likely to be experiencing employment stress in the family as a result of COVID-19. This is on top of around 615,000 children whose families were ...

Spice up the classic banana muffin with a subtle touch of star anise.These muffins came about one rainy Saturday when the cupboards were bare and there was nothing much left in the fruit bowl aside from some very sad-looking bananas. Fortunately we know sad bananas result in the best kind ...

For years, Work and Income has been telling New Zealanders they couldn’t get the benefit until their redundancy payments ran out. Turns out, it was wrong.What’s all this then?Work and Income has long told New Zealanders receiving redundancy payments that they weren’t eligible for the benefit until their redundancy money ...

New Zealand writer Anna Rankin reports from Los Angeles. Last Friday afternoon, I went downtown to a protest outside the enormous Los Angeles Police Department headquarters on 1st Street. The LAPD had set up cordons, placing orange cones across streets to block traffic. Arms crossed, they stood with a wide ...

Until the sudden closure of Bauer Media in April, Simon Farrell-Green was the editor of HOME, New Zealand’s oldest architecture magazine. Here he explains what comes next.Being the editor of a major architecture magazine was the best job I ever had. I got it in 2016, after a career spent ...

A global success story or an overly generous, unsustainable scheme that is doing lasting damage to our fish stocks? Ethan Neville looks at the ongoing debate over New Zealand’s fishing quota management system. The management of our fisheries is a touchy topic – and why wouldn’t it be? New Zealanders ...

By RNZ News Thousands of people were protesting across Australia today to oppose the deaths of Indigenous people in police custody. It comes as Black Lives Matter protests are held around the world after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in the US ...

For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. ...

One press statement from the Beehive yesterday sounded more like advertising – or a barker’s pitch – than a Government announcement. Another advised of two diplomatic appointment, one of them – has the woman who landed the post done something wrong? – to protest-troubled and politically volatile Hong Kong. And ...

It’s not often that someone graduates from university one year and becomes a senior economist commentating on national media the next. George Driver investigates the meteoric rise of the high-flying Brad Olsen.Google “senior economist Brad Olsen” and you’ll find him quoted in no fewer than 167 articles in the past ...

As public sentiment turned against Uber Eats, a new local operation emerged promising a more ethical alternative to help New Zealand’s struggling hospitality industry. But now Eat Local NZ has suspended trading after falling out with its Australian partner Mr Yum. So what happened?A dispute between local hospitality platform Eat ...

By Budi Sutrisno in Jakarta As the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died while being arrested in the United States, sparks a global outcry, Indonesian rights advocates and young people have stepped forward to remind fellow citizens that racism has long been an issue at home as ...

Edward Cullen became a vampire to survive the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Now a new Twilight novel looms and Laura Surynt, a New Zealander living in the UK, wants to live forever too. As I lay in bed this morning watching Instagram stories, Tayi Tibble told my reluctant little Capricorn ...

Over the lockdown period, thousands of people joined a Facebook group dedicated to remembering the nightlife of inner-city Auckland. Its creator Simon Grigg explains why it touched a chord in lockdown.Within a few days of The Lost Nightlife of Inner-city Auckland Facebook page accidentally going live on May 12, we ...

Throughout Anglo colonial states there is a constant habit of defining people who aren’t white as a problem, writes Aaron Smale in this personal essay. It was a balmy summer evening in the capital and cops were standing over a young brown man. I was walking down Courtenay Place on ...

"The countdown clock ticks 2, then 1, then the prime minister raises her drink": dystopia, by Ōtautahi writer Laura Borrowdale. You stand in the centre of the room, and around you, the guests seem to swirl and blend into one. There’s a mouth, gaping and red, filled with laughter. A ...

Martin Luther King Jr said in 1963: “America has given the Black people a bad cheque, a cheque which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds’." Six generations of egregious police violence later, the sentiment out of which those bad cheques were born could be shifting. In the wake of egregious police violence, ...

WATCH: In a candid interview on Sky Sport, Dame Susan Devoy talks on her concern for rising sports stars, the state of NZ squash, and the spectre of racism. Dame Susan Devoy is proudly still “a little terrier who fights for the underdog”. “I have been doing it all my life and ...

Of the huge funding boost coming for early childhood education, Playcentre has been left with just the crumbs, writes Kate Barber. Amidst all the celebration of the $430m funding boost for early childhood education (ECE) announced in this year’s budget, little attention was paid to the plight of Playcentre. The ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vikrant Minhas, PhD candidate, University of Adelaide Although bacteria are single-celled and microscopically small, they still need energy to survive, just like us. One of the most efficient ways of acquiring energy for bacteria is through sweet, soluble carbohydrates: sugars. In fact, ...

PACIFIC PANDEMIC DIARY:By David Robie Three cartoonists had especially poignant takes on the tragic and toxic political aftermath of martyr George Floyd’s brutal killing under the knee of a white American policeman in Minneapolis last week. The Boston Globe’s Christopher Weyant featured a split frame contrasting a red-capped “Make ...

Are central bankers jealous that epidemiologists are the rock stars of the current crisis?There is talk that both the British and New Zealand central banks might institute negative interest rates as part of the policy response to the Covid shock. While Sweden’s central bank ended its five year experiment ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Monika Sarder, Senior Strategic Analyst, Monash University Algorithmic decision-making has enormous potential to do good. From identifying priority areas for first response after an earthquake hits, to identifying those at risk of COVID-19 within minutes, their application has proven hugely beneficial. But ...

LISTEN: This week's Extra Time podcast discusses racism in sport and the role of athletes and organisations in making a stand for good. Former Silver Fern and Black Fern Louisa Wall believes today's sports stars must have a social conscience and stand up against discrimination and divisiveness. Sport and politics, once ...

Auckland writer Caroline Barron has a terrific book out today called Ripiro Beach: A Memoir of Life After Near Death. Here, she writes about the memoirs that have been a balm, a lesson, or both. Throughout my life, I’ve sought solace between the covers of books, particularly memoirs. There, I’ve learnt ...

An exclusive interview with Steve McSteverson about his traumatic and tragic ordeal this week.Many New Zealanders are struggling with the news that a children’s book not commissioned or authorised by Jacinda Ardern was advertised in a newsletter for children’s books. This horrific attack on New Zealanders whose ears are permanently ...

Air New Zealand staff are dismayed and angered at the company’s announcement to cut a further $150 million from their wage bill. On Friday, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Greg Foran, made the announcement to employees, who are still ...

The Herald reported this morning that MediaWorks was on the verge of selling its TV assets to US TV giant Discovery – but an internal email and senior source suggest the story may have been premature.A senior MediaWorks source has emphatically denied a report in the NZ Herald that a ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gery Karantzas, Associate professor in Social Psychology / Relationship Science, Deakin University Life in lockdown has been tough on many relationships. But negotiating the transition back to “normal” as restrictions continue to lift could also be a challenge for couples. So what ...

A slight bounce in the economy is brightening the outlook as the country heads into the winter months, Radio NZ reports. Retail spending is up and NZ shares rose on Thursday for a third day running. Key indicators have led some economists to point to a faster recovery than expected. ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Professor of Architecture, University of Adelaide HomeBuilder is a good idea gone bad. It is possibly the most complex and least equitable program the government could have devised to deliver construction jobs. It gives $25,000 to people who already ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Keller, Professor of Cognitive Science, Western Sydney University The coronavirus pandemic has silenced the world’s concert halls and opera theatres. Organisations specialising in live performance face an existential crisis under current restrictions on social gatherings, with up to 75% of people ...

Finance Minister Grant Robertson, wearing his Sport and Recreation ministerial hat, can show he can be a big spender and draw voters’ attention to his largess each time he dispenses money from the funds under his control – or the control of an agency within his ministerial bailiwick. Yesterday he ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan University Scott Morrison wants to overhaul the skills workforce to ensure a better post-COVID-19 recovery. But there may not be enough people with the necessary skills to do so. And travel restrictions, which ...

As we transition out of a Covid-focused world and prepare for what comes next, New Zealand’s ICT industry is gearing towards growth.From app development helping track the Covid-19 virus to website engineering keeping businesses in touch and online, ICT knowledge has been crucial to keeping New Zealand working over the ...

Analysis: As New Zealand eases restrictions, it no longer has international precedent to look towards and must decide on its own how to reopen the economy while reducing the risk of a second wave of infections, Marc Daalder reports While most of the country eagerly awaits a likely move to ...

Ten days is too long. That from insurance claimant advocate, Ali Jones. EQC has today made contact with homeowners via email after accidentally releasing confidential details of 8000 insurance claims on May 26. Jones says although she has not received ...

The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo (Penguin Classics, $24)Winner of the 2019 Booker Prize. The other day, ...

Simon Day discovers how the voluntary carbon market allows both individuals and companies to offset their emissions at the same time as investing in native forest regeneration.When Celia Wade-Brown sold her first batch of carbon credits earned from the native forest on her Wairarapa farm, she had two customers: Z ...

Simon Day discovers how the voluntary carbon market allows both individuals and companies to offset their emissions at the same time as investing in native forest regeneration.When Celia Wade-Brown sold her first batch of carbon credits earned from the native forest on her Wairarapa farm, she had two customers: Z ...

Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin. The conversation around the 2020 covid19 pandemic has been widely framed as ‘health versus the economy’. It has been quite political, with people leaning to the left emphasising ‘health’, and people leaning to the right emphasising ‘the economy’. A couple of weeks ago ...

Sam Brooks pays tribute to Alex Rider, and the new TV series that (finally) captures the spirit of the books.“What if James Bond was a teenager?”The concept for Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series is so simple but so brilliant. There’s a reason why the franchise has managed to sustain 12 ...

Analysis - The PM resists pressure to move immediately to level 1, Winston Peters' tactics play into the hands of the Opposition and the government at last works out a commercial rent solution, writes Peter Wilson. ...

Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage By COHAFrom Washington DC Federal charges against the four protectors of the Venezuelan Embassy, who defended the building in Washington DC against violent opposition crowds for several weeks between April 10 and May 16 of 2019, were completely dropped in a case that ...

Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage By COHA Editorial TeamFrom Washington DC The Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) joins the Black Alliance for Peace[1] and other pro-democracy organizations throughout the world in calling for the United Nations to address the systemic violations of human rights by the police and ...

Being shot by police had a profound, transformational effect on Rob Mokaraka’s life in more ways than you’d expect. A new documentary, airing on Māori TV at 7.30pm on Sunday, explores the work he’s done to heal his own mind and to ensure nobody has to go through the same ...

Human rights watchdog TAPOL has condemned the demand by Indonesian prosecutors seeking 17 and five years imprisonment for West Papuan activists Buchtar Tabuni and Irwanus Uropmabin. On June 2, the Jayapura District Prosecutor’s Office issued 33 pages containing charges against the defendant Irwanus Uropmabin. In the document, the Public Prosecutor ...

The arrival of Dan Carter is far from the first time the ever-struggling Auckland team has hoped to turn around its fortunes with a star signing, writes Jamie Wall.New Zealand rugby Twitter is a generally desolate place, especially lately given that there’s been nothing to talk about ever since the ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Senior Lecturer in New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity US President Donald Trump delivered an address this week in which he threatened military action on the nation. Then he walked to the nearby St John’s Episcopal Church ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Senior Lecturer and clinical academic gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University Why do we burp? We sometimes also burp before meals, why does this happen? — Ahaana, age 7 That is a really interesting question, Ahaana! There ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justine Bell-James, Associate Professor, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland After years of litigation, Australia’s highest court will today make a major decision on the fate of the controversial proposed expansion to the New Acland Coal mine in Queensland. ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Senior Lecturer, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Robodebt isn’t the only measure the government should consider withdrawing. Late last Friday, after a long press conference from the prime minister which avoided any mention of the topic, the ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julian Meyrick, Professor of Creative Arts, Griffith University What keeps democracies together? As America burns, Brazilians die and Europe braces for another wave of the coronavirus, the question assumes an alarming immediacy. If the answer is complicated in one way, it is ...